Healing, heartbreak and resilience: Msaki on 'home wrecker' label

Musician Asanda Mvana, popularly known as Msaki, has spoken up about being labelled a “home wrecker”. 

In November 2022 Sunday World reported that 5FM presenter Smash Afrika’s wife, Kefiloe Mdutyulwa, the daughter of actress Rami Chuene, had accused her husband of cheating on her with Msaki.

The newspaper alleged Kefiloe had found an image of Smash Afrika and Msaki kissing, along with letters from the singer professing her love for him.

In an intimate conversation, Msaki shares her journey with, love, heartbreak and developing a thick skin. She reflects on a friendship that “grew very organically” and blossomed into romance. 

“I'm a completely hopeful romantic and I think that this was a journey to finding that person for me, and even this relationship that ended up everywhere was part of that. As short as it was it really reminded me who I was. It reinflated parts of me that I had forgotten and I'm grateful for that.”

The love story was cut short by a tabloid scandal that compromised her integrity. Msaki said she didn't appreciate the man remaining mum while she was being dragged on social media.

“There was a lot of love there expressed both ways, and a lot of support. I really thought he had such a great spirit. What was hurtful for me was one of our love letters ending up in the tabloids.

“I found it a bit unfair and that's what led to the end of the relationship, I was like, I don't know if I can stay here while I'm watching you not protect me, while this is my reality, and you're seeing that I'm losing things and this is upsetting me, and its affecting me mentally.”

Msaki said while her divorce from her previous partner of 10 years was still ongoing and it was a “long road it seems” to it being finalised, she did not want people to misconstrue her story with defamatory labels. 

“I'm not accepting the label and I refuse to accept it. I may have been something else, but not a home wrecker.”

It's been more than a year since Msaki embarked on her musical hiatus but she has reassured her fans she has not retired.

“Last official show with DJ: April 2023. Last official show with band: June 2023. Writing: Always. Next show: God only knows bethuna. Recovering and healing: Yes,” she wrote on Instagram.

Mskai is set to celebrate 10 years in the music industry with Camagu In Symphony as music and creativity have been her lifeline throughout all the difficult times.

“I just want to say thank you to creativity and music for carrying me through the good and the bad. If I didn't have this ability to sort through these difficult things, I don't know if I would be here. I had to rescue myself from crashing mental health. I'm still here.”